Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers" will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.
Personal Statement

Vlade Divac's Personal Statement

As a young basketball player growing up in Yugoslavia, it didn't take long to realize that I had a chance to be part of something special. I was 18 when I signed my first pro contract and was called upon to play for my national team.

By the late 1980’s, a new generation of Yugoslavian talent had come together, and eventually we’d all make it to the NBA – myself, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja and the great Drazen Petrovic. Together we won the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, followed by first-place finishes at the European and World Championships…it seemed no one could stop us.

Besides forming a great combination on the court, Drazen and I also shared a strong friendship. We thought we’d play forever, but powerful forces beyond our control - political and personal - kept us from realizing some of our dreams. This is my journey to understand an enduring sense of loss - of my team, our shared future and the people I once considered my brothers.